Friday, September 19, 2014

Lamy Logo

A Review of the Lamy Logo

By Wesley James Young

I know, you know, everybody knows; when you place the words
cheap and reliable in a statement about fountain pens, Lamy is bound to make
itself known. Countless backpacks and satchels have a Safari or an Al-Star tucked away somewhere waiting to leave their mark. But some are not pleased by
the bulk or the pedantic shape of that triangular grip section. If you count
yourself among that lot, you may wish to consider the Lamy Logo pens!

Appearance & Design

The Lamy Logo is available in two finishes; a brushed
stainless steel and what is called a matte steel finish (personally I think
shiny is a more accurate descriptor). Like many of Lamy’s best products, the design
is very clean and simple. A cylindrical tube with evenly spaces ridges at the
point where the fingers should rest gives a nice marriage of form and
function.The simple curve of the spring
loaded clip is a perfect complement to the rest of the design.

Construction & Quality

The cap is a simple friction fit involving a metal
clutch-ring gripping onto the black band above the nib. The cap securely posts
to the back of this pen with crimps on the back end, holding the cap
secure.The threading on the section is
metal, as is the threading in the barrel. This will likely last much longer
than some other pens would.Overall, a
well made piece.

Nib & Performance

The nib is stainless steel and attaches to the plastic feed
by friction.The pen evenly when ink is
drawn into it and writes smoothly until the last drop. The full range of nibs
from Extra Fine to Broad are available, as well as 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9 mm Italic
nibs. Notice how well the fine performs with Sailor Ultramarine in the picture
below:

The pen can use either Lamy cartridges or the z26 converter(not included with this pen). Personally, I recommend using a converter since
there is a cornucopia of inks you can use with this pen. But Lamy does have a
series of moderate looking ink colors (Black, Blue, Blue-Black, Red, Turquoise,
and Violet), if you prefer cartridges.

Cost

The brushed steel finish retails for $50 and the matte
finish retails for $44, a little more money for a lot more style.

Final Remarks

If you want to step up from the Safari or Al-Star and the
Studio is not to your taste, this is definitely something worth a second look.